TR: IRL

Greece is one of those countries that had always been on my travel list. And as a lover of ancient civilizations, mythology and architecture, it's no real surprise. Greece was a key location in the first ever Tomb Raider game, with its own coliseum level and others inspired by King Midas (Palace Midas) and the Meteora rock formations (St. Francis' Folly), with their iconic elevated monasteries. I enjoyed replaying these levels many times, along with the charming music that has never left me.

 

On my first trip to the island of Rhodes, I had the rare opportunity to explore the Acropolis with barely another soul (apart from some reluctant friends and temperatures exceeding 30 Celsius). The island had many other remarkable sites, including temples to Apollo, Zeus, Athena and more, as well as where the famous Colossus statue once stood and the Grand Master Palace. One of my other favourite Greek islands is Crete, with the evocative Knossos ruins - which has a dolphin frieze that inspired the design of a pool in the Palace Midas level, from the first game. The capital city of Heraklion is also worth a visit, with its Venetian Fortress and the enigmatic Phaistos Disc, an unusual artifact that certainly wouldn't look out of place in a Tomb Raider game.

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I feel quite at home in Greece and will certainly return to explore the mainland and more of its islands. For this reason, I've chosen perhaps my most memorable piece of music from the first game to accompany these photos: Longing For Home; the delightfully revised version, as performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which admittedly brought a tear to my eye.

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